There was no consolation record-breaking performance for Maryland baseball in this weekend’s series loss to Illinois.
Instead of replicating last Sunday’s 22-run explosion against Northwestern, the Terps fell on the road to the Illini, 11-0. They were swept in a weekend series for the first time this season.
The defeat marked Maryland’s sixth series loss to open the season, still searching for its first weekend series win. Sunday’s loss plummeted the Terps farther from postseason play, now four games under .500.
After Maryland (14-18, 3-9 Big Ten) forced rubber matches in its first four weekend sets, this weekend’s series against Illinois (18-11, 7-5 Big Ten) was the second straight that the Terps had already lost heading into their final game, being outscored 22-7 in Saturday’s doubleheader.
“The guys are in the right mind frame. They’re trying. Everybody’s trying. We’re working really hard,” coach Matt Swope said. “It just seems like sometimes that’s baseball when it’s up against you a little bit.”
In earlier series, the Terps’ pitching and hitting struggled to find rhythm together at the same time. Both units faltered in unison in Champaign. Maryland averaged only 2.3 runs per game, while the pitching staff sported an 11.28 ERA.
Swope had previously said that winning a series was a hump the team needed to clear, crucial for morale and confidence. The weekend instead was disappointing from the beginning, though not new from how the season has gone.
[Maryland baseball never leads in series opener against Illinois, falls 7-4]
Maryland’s first series loss came at Western Carolina in February. The Terps blew a four-run lead in the seventh inning of the opener, then dropping Sunday’s rubber match in 10 innings — sophomore Andrew Koshy pitched in both of the late collapses.
Swope’s team then lost to UCLA in early March, dropping a tough ten-inning game on Friday and falling in the Sunday rubber match after the Bruins scored 11 runs in the second inning. Maryland’s pitching faltered again in the rubber match against South Florida the following week, as the Terps threw 17 consecutive balls in the first inning of a 15-8 loss.
Maryland’s bats went cold against Washington, averaging just two runs per game in Seattle, before suffering a ten-inning loss in the series opener against Northwestern and a run-rule defeat in the following game.
“It is important to try to find something to propel you into the rest of the season and just be more consistent,” Swope said on March 27. “It’s important for morale, it’s important for confidence.”
Terps never lead during weekend in Champaign
For the second straight day, the Terps were run-ruled. Sophomore center fielder Collin Jennings knocked a three-run home run into right center and prompted a Gatorade bath from his teammates on Sunday.
The early ending to the series finale marked the second time Maryland was shutout this season, the first time since 2021 it’s have been shutout twice in a campaign.
[Maryland baseball hits ‘rock bottom’ as coach Matt Swope looks for solutions]
The Terps fell into an early hole after the Illini plated five runs in the first frame against freshman Jake Yeager. Maryland never held a lead the entire weekend against the Illini — with Illinois scoring runs in each first inning.
Yeager composed himself following the inning and held Illinois scoreless until he was pulled in the fourth inning. He was credited with six runs, three earned, given his third loss of the season.
Koshy relieved the freshman and allowed one earned run in an inning. Freshman Cristofer Cespedes then allowed four runs, including the game-ending home run through 2 ⅓ innings.
While the Illini scored five in their opening frame, the Terps couldn’t register a baserunner for the first two innings. When Maryland eventually reached base, it only batted 2-8 with runners on and was 0-5 with runners in scoring position.
“We got to have a good start coming out. We got to manufacture and get on the board and get some confidence,” Swope said. “You’re not reinventing the game, you know. We just need to play better.”
Illinois stayed aggressive despite holding a lead for the entire game and repeatedly targeted senior catcher Alex Calarco on the base paths — stealing six bases on Sunday without getting caught. The Illini stole four bags and wasn’t thrown out on Saturday.
Illinois entered the series below. 500 in conference play, but exited with a winning record after facing the Terps. Maryland’s next weekend opponent will already enter with a positive record in the Big Ten as No. 15 Oregon comes to College Park.
“I’ve been through some ups and downs in some different seasons, and I don’t want the fans or people to think that this is good enough, because it’s not,” Swope said, “But we’re gonna stay positive. We’re gonna continue to try to work.”
